'Faster' Trailer: Dwayne Johnson is a Badass Again

Remember when, not that long ago, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (he's since dropped "The Rock," a WWE trademark, from his name), former college-linebacker-turned-wrestling-champion-turned-actor, looked like a lock for the title of Next Great Action Star? I certainly do, as do many action fans who, hoping for someone with athleticism, charisma, and maybe even some acting talent, take on the title vacated by an aging Sylvester Stallone and a no-longer-interested Arnold Schwarzenegger, who turned his political ambitions into running (and winning) elected office as the governor of the great state of California.

Other actors came and went, but Johnson seemed like the real deal. After a promising, if minor, role in The Mummy Returns, Johnson went the sword-and-sandal route, playing the titular character in The Scorpion King (2002), a spin-off the Mummy franchise. Johnson fulfilled that promise seven years ago with his star-making turn in The Rundown. In addition to the expected athleticism and an ability to handle most, if not all, of his stunts, Johnson surprised moviegoers with expert comedic timing. Johnson followed up The Rundown with a sub-par effort, the Walking Tall remake, before turning to supporting roles in Be Cool and Southland Tales, with a side trip as the (minor spoiler alert) antagonist in the 2005 big-screen adaptation of the popular videogame Doom.

Johnson surprised his fans by taking on a role as a mentor-coach in the Gridiron Gang. While giving a persuasive performance, the role seemed premature for Johnson. The repeated attempts to widen his fanbase with family-friendly fare like The Game Plan (2007) and The Tooth Fairy, a role once intended for Schwarzenegger, last year. A supporting turn in the middling Get Smart didn't help, though Johnson once again proved he could handle comedic roles not specifically tailored to his family-friendly persona. He'll get a chance to do just that again later this summer with The Other Guys, the Will Farrell/Mark Wahlberg action-comedy, but it's Johnson's return to straight-ahead action, a part in the Fast & Furious sequel, Fast Five(out next year), and Faster, a revenge-themed action-drama, scheduled to be released on the 24th of November, with Billy Bob Thornton, Maggie Grace, Moon Bloodgood, and Carla Gugino co-starring and George Tillman, Jr. (Notorious) directing.

Yahoo has the exclusive teaser trailer for Faster, and you can check it out below.

So what do you think of the trailer for Faster? Are you excited, interested, or disinterested in Johnson's return to the action genre?